The estimates in this release provide a means of analysing differences in level and composition of personal income in regions. Such analyses can provide a valuable insight into the nature of regional economies and aspects of the economic well-being of the people who live there.

Data for 2009-10 have been sourced from the Australian Tax Office (ATO). They are presented here for a variety of geographic levels such as local government areas (LGAs), Statistical Area Level 2s (SA2) and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSA), using the new Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS).

Since the last issue (covering 2003-04 to 2008-09) there have been some changes to items included in each income category. The estimates in this issue are not directly comparable to those in the last issue (2003-04 to 2008-09). A new time series of Estimates of Personal Income for Small Areas for 2005-06 to 2009-10 will be released in 2013.

While personal income data provide insights into the income in regional economies, wealth is also important to economic well-being, since some people on low incomes may have wealth to draw on, such as property and business assets (Australian Social Trends, 2006, cat. no. 4102.0). Conversely, some people on high incomes may also have high levels of debt. This article has a focus on income, but income alone does not necessarily equate with overall economic well-being.

In 2009-10, Total income (from all sources excluding Government pensions and allowances) was $588.1 billion, with Wages and salaries income contributing 81.4% of total income, followed by Investment income (10.2%) and Own unincorporated business income (6.3%).

Table 1. SOURCES OF INCOME, 2009-10 - Australia

Sources of Income

Number of persons by income source (a)

no.

Total income by source (b)

$b

Average income per personby source

$

Source of income as % of Total income

%

Wages & salaries

9 787 143

478.7

48 907

81.4

Own unincorporated business

1 860 729

37.3

20 023

6.3

Investment

7 730 019

60.0

7 760

10.2

Superannuation & annuities

387 481

8.7

22 486

1.5

Other (b)

1 231 045

3 5

2 854

0.6

Total income (b) (c)

12 119 007

588.1

48 530

100.0

(a) Persons may have more than one source of income.(b) Excludes Government pensions and allowances.(c) Totals may not exactly match the sum of components due to rounding.

Readers should note that the data for Superannuation and annuities are understated. See Explanatory Notes, paragraph 27.

REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN AVERAGE INCOME

Table 2. AVERAGE INCOME by Source - Greater Capital City Statistical Areas and Rest of State/Territory, 2009-10

Region

Wages & salaries

Own unincorporated business

Investment

Superannuation & annuities

Other Income (excl. Govt pensions & allowances)

Total income from all sources (excl. Govt pensions & allowances)

$

$

$

$

$

$

New South Wales

50 943

21 025

7 901

22 346

3 257

50 328

Greater Sydney

54 354

26 533

8 988

22 091

3 740

55 010

Rest of NSW

43 992

13 595

5 848

22 615

2 262

41 537

Victoria

47 363

19 309

8 758

20 264

2 630

47 623

Greater Melbourne

49 342

23 146

9 345

20 863

2 927

50 413

Rest of Victoria

40 786

11 670

6 872

18 716

1 650

38 995

Queensland

47 054

16 806

6 626

20 677

2 511

45 844

Greater Brisbane

49 251

21 675

6 503

21 160

2 502

48 895

Rest of Queensland

44 835

13 684

6 738

20 222

2 513

42 981

South Australia

44 141

20 042

7 410

24 615

2 333

44 312

Greater Adelaide

45 357

23 130

7 696

25 373

2 512

46 041

Rest of South Australia

39 497

14 029

6 408

21 183

1 674

38 213

Western Australia

53 227

24 757

8 629

22 775

3 534

53 397

Greater Perth

53 864

27 790

9 008

23 333

3 835

54 728

Rest of WA

50 235

17 245

7 032

19 928

2 272

48 234

Tasmania

41 673

16 860

6 077

20 879

2 180

41 542

Greater Hobart

43 863

21 237

6 159

22 287

2 171

44 358

Rest of Tasmania

39 898

14 209

5 791

19 231

2 178

39 216

Northern Territory

50 746

20 294

3 843

27 438

1 958

51 366

Greater Darwin

53 055

23 278

3 800

28 619

2 043

53 747

Rest of NT

46 606

12 602

3 717

23 863

1 331

47 153

Australian Capital Territory (a)

57 749

25 297

4 735

32 657

2 238

58 034

Australia (b)

48 907

20 023

7 760

22 486

2 854

48 530

(a) the whole of the ACT is one GCCSA.(b) Australia totals include data for the Other Territories.

Table 2 presents average income data for 2009-10 for all sources of income,by state and territory. The Australian Capital Territory recorded the highest average total income of all states and territories ($58,034), followed by Western Australia ($53,397) and the Northern Territory ($51,366). When interpreting these results, it should be noted that some low income earners, for example those receiving Government pensions and allowances, or those under the income threshold for tax form lodgement, are excluded from the data. This can impact on the data story for the Northern Territory, for example.

For Australia, average total income was $48,530. Overall, the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas recorded substantially higher average total incomes than the rest of each state or territory.

Average wage and salary total incomes were highest in the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales. Average individual income from Own unincorporated business was highest in the Australian Capital Territory ($25,297), Western Australia ($24,757) and New South Wales ($21,025). Again, Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) recorded considerably higher average incomes from this source than the Rest of each state or territory. Victoria recorded the highest average Investment income in 2009-10, followed by Western Australia and New South Wales. The Australian Capital Territory had the highest average income from Superannuation and annuities ($32,657), followed by the Northern Territory ($27,438) and South Australia ($24,615). Map 1 (below) illustratesaverage total income data for 2009-10 by Statistical Area Level 2 geographies.

Excluding regions with less than one hundred income earners, almost two-thirds (65.8%) of SA2s in Australia had average total incomes lower than the national average ($48,530).

Toorak in Melbourne recorded the highest average total income ($132,252) of all Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) regions, nationally. This was followed by the SA2s of Double Bay - Bellevue Hill ($129,116), Mosman ($126,956), Hunters Hill - Woolwich ($123,869), Woollahra ($120,199), Dover Heights ($115,387) and Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watson's Bay ($115,148) - all in Sydney in New South Wales. The Cottesloe SA2 ($113,892) in western Perth was the only other SA2 in Australia (outside of NSW and Victoria) that had an Average Total income exceeding $110,000.

Outside of the metropolitan/city regions, the SA2s with the highest average total incomes were the mining regions of Western Australia, in particular Karratha ($79,925), Port Hedland ($78,584), Roebourne ($75,316) and Ashburton ($73,645).

This section presents data on the five Statistical Area Level 2 regions (SA2s) in each Greater Capital City Statistical Area and the Rest of each state/territory with the highest average total incomes in 2009-10. Readers should note that SA2s with less than 100 income earners have been excluded from the data and percentages presented below, however all SA2s are in the spreadsheets attached to this release.

NEW SOUTH WALES

The SA2 of Double Bay - Bellevue Hill, a harbour-side area in eastern Sydney, had the highest average total income in New South Wales in 2009-10 ($129,116) as shown in Table 3. The SA2 of Mosman on Sydney's north shore, had the state's second highest average total income in 2009-10 ($126,956). Hunters Hill - Woolwich, Woollahra and Dover Heights were also in the top five highest income SA2s in New South Wales. All five SA2s also recorded relatively high proportions of Investment income relative to total income, ranging from 39.6% for Double Bay - Bellevue Hill, to 34.9% for Dover Heights, to 25.6% for Mosman. In contrast, the Investment to total income share for the whole Greater Sydney GCCSA was 10.7%.

Outside of Greater Sydney, Queanbeyan West - Jerrabomberra in the south east of NSW had the highest average Total income ($64,728). Wages and salaries contributed 85.4% of Total income for this region. Other SA2s with high average total income were Merewether - The Junction ($62,296) and Newcastle - Cooks Hill ($61,295) where Wages and salaries contributed 72.6% and 72.2% of total income respectively (compared with 81.4% for Australia).
In 2009-10, 25.5% or 132 of SA2s in New South Wales recorded average total incomes above the state average ($50,328). Of these SA2s, twenty were located outside of the Greater Sydney region.

Areas in Greater Melbourne's inner south-east recorded Victoria's highest average total incomes in 2009-10 (Table 4). The SA2 of Toorak recorded the state's highest average ($132,252) followed by Brighton ($101,776) and East Melbourne ($95,349). Greater Melbourne's top five was completed by Albert Park ($ 91,871) and Armadale ($89,534).

Outside of Greater Melbourne, the highest average total incomes were in the SA2s of Newtown in the Geelong area ($56,512) and Woodend in the Macedon Ranges ($50,960). Other regions with high average total incomes were the SA2s of Torquay ($48,553), Geelong ($48,528) and Traralgon ($48,344).

In 2009-10, 28.7% (or 121) of all SA2s in Victoria recorded average total incomes above the state average ($47,623). Fiveof these SA2s were located outside the Greater Melbourne GCCSA.

Individuals in the inner-city areas of Ascot and Hamilton earned higher average incomes than Queenslanders in other regions (Table 5). The SA2 of Ascot recorded the highest average total income in Queensland in 2009-10 ($90,945), followed closely by Hamilton ($90,900). As Table 5 shows, Bulimba, Hawthorne and Bardon completed the top five for the Greater Brisbane GCCSA,

Outside of Greater Brisbane, the highest average total income was found in the Moranbah SA2 ($75,662) - a mining region near Mackay (northern Queensland). Other SA2s with high average total incomes included Broadsound - Nebo ($64,814) and Central Highlands - East ($61,361).

In 2009-10, 37.8% (or 193) of all SA2s in Queensland had average total incomes above the state average ($45,844). Of these SA2s, 119 were located within the Brisbane metropolitan area.

The inner-city SA2s of North Adelaide and Walkerville had the highest annual average total incomes in Greater Adelaide and South Australia - at $75,574 and $74,296 respectively. As Table 6 shows, Glenside - Beaumont, Unley - Parkside and Toorak Gardens also had high average annual incomes.

Roxby Downs, an SA2 in the state's north, and a mining centre, had the highest annual average total income outside of the Greater Adelaide area ($68,359) and the fourth highest average income in the state. Other SA2s with high average income in the rest of state included Whyalla ($48,138), the Outback SA2 in the north of the State ($47,355), Tanunda ($46,039) and Port Augusta ($44,750).

In 2009-10, 31.5% of SA2 regions (or 51) in South Australia had average total incomes above the state average ($44,312). Of these SA2s, 46 were located in the Greater Adelaide region.

Cottesloe, a beach-side SA2 in Perth had the highest annual average total income ($113,892) in Western Australia. Also prominent were the SA2s of Nedlands - Dalkeith - Crawley ($106,981), City Beach ($102,971) and Mosman Park - Peppermint Grove ($99,609).

Outside of Greater Perth, the Pilbara mining regions of Karratha ($79,925), Port Hedland ($78,584), Roebourne ($75,316) and Ashburton ($73,645) had the highest average total income levels.

In 2009-10, 31.6% of all SA2s in Western Australia (or 72) had annual average total incomes that exceeded the State level ($53,397). Of these, 13 SA2s were located outside of Greater Perth.

The SA2 of Sandy Bay, in the south of Hobart, had the highest average total income in Tasmania in 2009-10 ($59,002). Table 8 shows that the SA2 of Mount Nelson - Dynnyrne had the next highest average total income ($54,660).

Of the areas outside of the Greater Hobart GCCSA, the SA2s of West Coast ($46,606) and Norwood ($44,784) had the highest average incomes in 2009-10.

In 2009-10, 38.9% of all SA2s in Tasmania (or 37) had average annual total incomes above the state average ($41,542). Of these SA2s, 19 were located outside of the Greater Hobart GCCSA.

In 2009-10, the three highest income SA2s in the Northern Territory were located outside of the Greater Darwin area - Anindilyakwa ($73,480), Nhulunbuy ($63,985) and East Arnhem ($63,955). Care should be taken when interpreting these results, as some low income earners, for example those receiving Government pensions and allowances, or those under the income threshold for tax lodgement, are excluded from these results. Moreover, recent data from the 2011 Population Census confirms that one quarter of the combined populations of these SA2s receive between $1-299 a week.

Excluding the top 3 regions, all other SA2s outside of Greater Darwin had average incomes below the Northern Territory average ($51,366).

In Greater Darwin, the central city areas of Stuart Park, Fannie Bay - The Gardens and Ludmilla - The Narrows had the highest average total incomes with $60,979, $60,976 and $60,975 respectively.

People living in the inner southern areas of Red Hill and Forrest recorded the highest average incomes in the Australian Capital Territory in 2009-10 ($87,496 and $87,488 respectively). The SA2s of Griffith, Deakin and Yarralumla rounded out the top five, as shown by Table 10.

The Australian Capital Territory had the highest average income of all states and territories in 2009-10 ($58,034). Table 10. TOP AVERAGE INCOMES, Australian Capital Territory, 2009-10 (a)

2009-10

Top 5 SA2s

$

Red Hill

87 496

Forrest

87 488

Griffith

87 473

Deakin

80 251

Yarralumla

80 238

Australian Capital Territory (b)

58 034

(a) Excludes SA2 regions with less than 100 income earners. (b) Includes 'SA2 unknown'.